The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft having external structures and, more particularly, to mounting system systems and methods for coupling external structures to aircraft.
At least some known aircraft include external structures coupled thereto for a variety of purposes. For example, such external structures may be coupled to the aircraft fuselage, wings, or empennage and used to carry sensor equipment, fuel, or other cargo. Prior methods of coupling external structures to an aircraft rely on either high-precision placement of match-drilled holes for mounting, which prevents easy removal and reinstallation or replacement, or the use of adjustable length tie rods, which have a limited loading capability and, in some applications, may include adjustment components too large to fit within the space allotted. Additionally, manufacturing tolerances associated with such prior methods are both time consuming and expensive to implement.